~ A blog about food, traveling & the art of a vegetarian lifestyle

Tag Archives: Vegan

Pumpkin is one of my favorite foods to cook with and this soup is no exception. It is fast, easy and delicious.

Coconut-Pumpkin Soup with Beans

1 tablespoon of EVOO

1/3 cup of finely chopped or grated onion

1 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder

1 tablespoon of honey

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

2 cups vegetable broth or water

3-4 dashes of Tabasco

I 14.5 oz. can of coconut milk

1 15 oz. can of kidney or cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

¼-1/3 cup of cilantro

To make the soup heat up a large pot, add the oil and onion. Cook until softened then add the curry powder and cook for a minute or until aromatic. Add the honey, pumpkin and broth. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low and simmer. After about 10 or so minutes add the coconut milk, beans, salt and pepper. Cook until flavors come together, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Serves 4

Tip: If you do not like Tabasco you can substitute with any kind of vinegar like apple cider or white wine vinegar. It is the slight hint of the vinegar in the Tabasco that adds a nice touch to the soup along with the heat. Also, if you do not like cilantro you can substitute it with parsley. * Vegan

Quinoa has become one of my favorite things to cook with. Every week I make a new salad with the quinoa that I can just snack on throughout the week. It is the only grain that is a full protein and it is delicious hot, cold or room temp. I have been discovering how versatile this magical grain is.

1 Tbsp. Evoo

1 c quinoa, rinsed

2 c water

1/3 c pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 large orange, peeled and cut into chunks

The dressing:

3 Tbsp. Evoo

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. honey

2 Tbsp. orange juice, freshly squeezed

2 tsp. grated orange peel

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1/3 c. chopped mint

Directions:

First rinse the quinoa and put in pot with 1 tbsp Evoo. Toast the grain for about a minute then add the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir once or twice if necessary, making sure to not burn the quinoa.

Meanwhile put the pumpkin seeds in a pan on low heat and toast for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Make sure to not burn. Stir the seeds once or twice so they get toasted on both sides. Take off heat and set aside to cool.

For the dressing mix together the Evoo, red wine vinegar and the rest of the ingredients through the mint. Set aside until the quinoa is done. Once the quinoa is cooked and has cooled down for about 15 minutes peel and chop up the orange. Add the orange and the dressing and toss into quinoa. Now it is ready to serve.

Note: This quinoa salad is delicious at room temp or cold. If you do not have all the ingredients on hand just use your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing instead. But I personally like this homemade dressing, plus the orange juice and peel add a nice flavor. * Vegan

Here is a recipe I found in a Cooking Light magazine. I have altered the recipe and added my own twists but I felt I should mention where I found the origins of this dish. It seems fitting to be my first recipe because it’s a curry which is one of my favorite things to make. I love curries because you can make curry in a thousand different ways. This here is an Indian curry and is great to serve with toasted pita bread or rice.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 cups chopped onion

Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry

1 cauliflower head (*)

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

¾ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (*)

½ teaspoon cardamom (*)

½ teaspoon salt

1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick OR about ½ -1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-1/2 cups water (*)

1 15oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed

1 15oz can crushed or diced tomatoes with juice

1/3-cup raisins (*)

¼-1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

¼ cup of raita or nonfat plain yogurt

To make curry, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the onions, sautéing until translucent. Next add the chopped up head of cauliflower and sauté with onions for 5 or so minutes. To the pan add next the ginger, garlic and spices, through the cinnamon, cooking for a minute or so until the spices become aromatic and are slightly toasted. Next add the water, chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid for about 8-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Then remove the lid and stir in the raisins and cilantro cooking the curry down until slightly thickened and some of the water has evaporated. Remove the cinnamon stick, if used. Spoon curry over rice or toasted pitas and add a dollop of pre-made raita sauce or nonfat plain yogurt. Serves 4

Authors Note: This dish is delicious and makes great leftovers. If you do not like and/or have cauliflower substitute with other veggies such as sweet potatoes, broccoli and peppers. Use what you have on hand.

* Omit the yoghurt = vegan

(*) Indicates my changes to the Cooking Light recipe

And this is how I enjoyed this meal...out on the porch with a glass of wine!